Interlocking mechanism for voting-machines.



W. J. LAUSTBRER.

INTERLOCKING MEGHANISM POR VOTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 22, 1910.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1A PLANOGRAPH Co., WAS

. J. LAUSTERER.

INTBRLOGKING MEGHANISM FOR VOTING MACHINES.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 22, 1910.

Patented J an. 13, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

an vente?,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. LAUSTERER, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO EMPIRE VOTING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

INTERLOCKING MECHANISM FOR VOTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13,1914.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. LAUls'r- Enna, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State ofNew York, have mvented certain new and useful Improvements inInterlocking Mechanisms for Voting-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invent-ion relates to the interlocking mechanism for votingmachines, in which a number of voting keys or ballot indicators areprovided for several candidates, which candidates and their keys aregrouped according to the requirements of the ballot and of the election,so that a predetermined number of keys can be voted in each of thegroups so formed and no more.

The interlocking mechanism is shown as applied to a machine of the typeillustrated in Patent 938126 Dean Oct. 26, 1909, and application 238388,Dean.

This interlocking mechanism is an improvement on interlocking mechanismsknown as the parallel channel type, as distinguished from the singlechannel type, of which latter type Patents 853822, 857800, and 793666embody illustrations.

The machines illustrated in the foregoing patents all have their keysarranged in parallel oflice lines and in party lines eX- tend transverseto these oflice lines. The interlocking mechanisms of these machines areseparated from each other by office lines so that in one way or another'the dividing line between consecutive oliice lines may be maintained oreliminated as the requirements of the election may make it necessary topermit the voter to vote for one, two, three or even more candidates ina group. In electing supervisors in San Francisco it is necessary topermit each voter to vote for eighteen out of all the candidatesnominated by all t-he parties and in electing judges in some localitiesit is necessary to permit the voter to select from all of the candidatesnominated a large number. So too with Representatives and presidentialelectors in some cases. The interlocking mechanism is intended toprevent the voter from voting for more candidates than he is by lawentitled to vote for. The interlocking mechanism must be capable oflimiting the voter to this extent with certainty so as to make itunnecessary for the election officers to inspect his ballot and see thathe has not violated the election law in voting for more candidates thanhe is entitled,to vote for. The interlocking mechanism must also permitthe voter to vote the last key in the group as easily as it permits himto vote the first key of the group, 0r substantially so, so that theinterlock will not interfere with or defeat the efforts of a timid or aweak voter in his efforts to vote, and it should be that light and easyin its operation as not to interfere with the voting of a straightticket or the simultaneous operation of a large number of keys. Thesethree features of the interlock may be referred to first, the strengthof the interlock, which prevents overvoting, second, the flexibility ofthe interlock, or that qualit-y of permitting the last key to be votedas easily as the first, and third, the lightness of its operation, whichpermits the easy operation simultaneously of a large number of keyscontrolled by the interlock. In interlocks heretofore devised thesethree desirable features could be secured in combination only incomparatively small groups, some interlocks in this respect being ofcourse better than others. The interlock of my invention will securethese three desirable results in combination in a group even larger thanwill any of' the interlocking devices heretofore referred to.

This is the object of my invention, to increase the strength,flexibility and lightness of operation of the interlocking mechanism andthe means by which these results are secured will presently beexplained.

It will ybe understood of course that the invention is capable ofapplication to meet interlocking requirements that exist elsewhere thanin voting machines, and to interlock the movement of other moving partsthan vot-ing keys.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a top plan View ofthe machine, partly broken away so as to omit several of the oflicelines. Fig. 2 is a side elevat-ion of the machine, the casing beingpartly broken away, so as to show a portion of the interlockingmechanism. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3X, 3X of Fig. 2. Fig. 4L isa det-ail in perspective of an interlocking wedge attached to a key, theinterlocking blocks cooperating therewith, and the grouping wedge of anoflice line. Fig. 5 is a detail of an interlocking roller, such as isused in a grouping channel. Fig. (3 is a detail of the interlockingwedge attached to the individual key for voting tor candidates. Fig. 7is a detail of an interlocking channel 1% showing that the interlockingblocks are 'tastened at one end of the channel and are free to move inthe other direction only. Fig. 8 is a detail showing the connectionbetween the interlocking strap 18 and its wedge 19.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts in the accompanying drawingsand specilication.

1n Figs. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 re- :ters to the vot-ing keyswhich are arranged on the keyboard 2 ot' the voting machine in parallellines. One of these keys is provided tor each candidate to be voted on.rlhe lines of keys extending horizontally in Fig. 1 are ottice lines andthe lines and keys extending vertically in Fig. 1 may be properlyreferred to for convenience as party lines. Fig. 1 is shown partlybroken away so that several ottice lilies and keys are wholly omittedand the party lines et' keys are to that extent shortened. It will beunderstood ot course that the party lines ot keys may be extendedindeiinitely in the construction ot the machine, the machine being builtcorrespondingly large so as to accommodate the maximum ticket which maybe voted on it in any election. The keys 1, 1 shown in Fig. 2 representthe last oliice line on the machine. Each of these keys has a stem 3extending down into the machine. T his stem engages with a rocker arm 11pivoted on a shaft 5. The key is voted by being depressed and indepressing the key the short end of the rocker arm 4 which engages withthe key is carried down and the long end of the rocker arm is carriedup. These details of my interlocking mechanism are old and are shownhere merely for the sake ot convenience7 it being understood that othert'orms ot voting devices may be used in their stead.

Connected to the long arm of the rocker arm L1 is the interlocking strapand wedge G, which wedge is more fully shown in Figs. 4; and 6. Thiswedge is in fact a combination of several wedges and in shape somewhatresembles a fork having three prongs or tines, the object of the severalwedges being in short not only to spread the interlocking blocks withwhich the middle wedge comes into contact7 but to pull them togetheragain by means ot the two outside wedges. To secure this result Iprovide the central wedge 7 having the two beveled surfaces thereonconnecting the parallel sides of the thin and the thick parts of thewedge. The outer prongs S and 9 are provided with wedges which are justthe reverse in their operation to the wedge 7, so that as the wedge 7 israised to spread the blocks, the

wedges S and 9 permit the spreading et the blocks and when the wedge 71s moved in the opposite direction the wedges S and 9l operate on theblocks to draw them together. lnterlocking blocks 10 are used inconnection with these wedges, such as is shown in Fig. The intermediateblocks have a recess 11 cut in each end et each block, while in the endblocks 12 of each ollice line such recesses are unnecessary at the outerend. Each ot these intermediate blocks also has slots 13 cut therein.lVhen two interlocking blocks are placed end to end in the interlockingchannel the recesses 117 11 ol the abutting blocks iorm a slot whichembraces the wedge 7. T he blocks will ordinarily remain in abutmentwhen the .vedge 7 is in the position shown in Fig. 11, and will bespread apart when the wedge is raised by the voting or depressing ot thekey. The wedges 8 and 9 engage with the slots 13 and cause theinterlocking blocks 10 to be drawn together again when the key isunvoted or brought back to normal position.

lt will ot course be understood that one ot the end blocks is normallyheld stationary so that it cannot move in either directionlongitudinally, and that all et the intermediate blocks and the otherend block such as shown at 12 are tree to move along the channel 14-A bywhich they are supported. It will also be understood that one of theseinterlocking channels 1l is provided tor each of the otlice lines on themachine, these channels being substantially the same as thoseillustrated in the Dean patent and applications above reterred to.'.lhese interlocking channels are all mounted and supportedsubstantially parallel to each other. At the end oit each channel 14 asshown in Fig. 2 is supported a bell crank 15, which bell crank has onearm 16 projecting upwardly and maintaining constant engagement with theend block 12 ot its particular ottico line, while the other arai 1T o'tthe bell crank projects sidewise and somewhat below the horizontal andhas connected thereto the interlocking strap 18 to the lower end ofwhich is connected the interlocking wedge 19.

It will now be understood that when one key is voted in an otlice linethe end block 12 will be moved to the right 'trom the position shown inF ig. -t and Fig. 2 and will cause the bell crank lever to rock aroundits pivot7 raising the strap 18. A szcond wedge 7 voted in the sameollice line will cause the bell crank to rock still tarther and willcause still further the elevation ot the strap 18 with its wedge 19. AVturther op eration ot keys in the saine otliee line will still furtherrock the bell crank 15 and still further elevate the strap 1S and its.vedfre 19. Ordinarily seven keys are provided iior candidates in eacholtice line and one key that it is not necessary ordinarily to providefor more than seven candidates in each office line whether the otlice be.governor to which but one candidate can be elected, or supervisors orjudges to which a number of candidates can be elected. However it willbe understood that if necessary my invention may be applied to machineshaving ten, twelve or even more party lines of keys, it only beingnecessary in such cases to lengthen the arms of the bell cranks so thatthe ends of the arms 1n( travel a greater lineal distance without avingmade a greater angular movement.

The interlocking straps 18 are provided on their ends with theinterlocking wedges 19. The ends of the straps 18 and their wedges 19are all embraced by a grouping channel 20 in which grouping channel iscarried interlocking rollers 21, this channel and its interlockingrollers being substantially the same as the channel and the pin rollersillust-rated in my prior Patent 793666, each of the rollers beingprovided with a pin hole 22 through which the grouping pin 23 may passto fasten it in its appropriate place in the interlocking channel andwith an annular recess 24: which is wide and deep enough so that therecess formed by two of said rollers when in contact will looselyembrace the interlocking strap 18. The interlocking strap is narrowed asshown at 25 in Fig. 4, so that the length of t-he recess 24 in theinterlocking rollers 21 and the width of the wedge 19 may be diminishedaccordingly and to also provide shoulders 26 on the bottom of theinterlocking strap 18, whereby it can the more positively engage theinterlocking wedge 19.

Each of the interlocking wedges 19 is made broader than its interlockingstrap 18 at 25, and it is on the portion of the wedge 19 that lies oneither side of the strap at 25 on which the interlocking contact orpressure occurs. The interlocking strap is not placed under pressure atall and the whole interlocking pressure is between the rollers 21 orbetween the rollers 21 and the wedges that separate them.

The interlocking wedge 19 is channeled as shown to receive theinterlocking strap positively therein.

As shown in Fig. 3, the interlocking straps 18 normally lie parallel toeach other and extend from the bell cranks 15 down to the interlockingWedges 19. These interlocking straps are spaced apart by the rollers 21.r1`hese rollers are normally held opposite the pin holes. 2G in theinterlocking channel 20 by the grouping pins 28, which grouping pinspass through the interlocking channel| and serve to hold the rollers inplace. As the rollers are held in this position space is leftbetweenthem to permit the insertion therebetween of the first step of the wedge19. It will be understood from an inspection of Figs. 8 and a that thewedge 18 is provided with a series of steps which are herein referred tofor convenience by the characters 19, 19h, 19, 19d, 19e, 19f, 19g and19h. The wedge in this way is formed of eight pairs of sides, all ofwhich sides are parallel to each other and are connected by shortbevels, which bevels or cams have substantially the thickness equal toone-half of the distance between consecutive rollers when such rollersare held in position by the grouping pins.

It will be understood that as the wedges 19 are raised, the two adjacentbevels Connecting the two consecutive sets of parallel sides operate onthe adjacent rollers to either take up the space normally existingbetween such rollers or, as in the case of group, to move the rollersapart or farther apart a distance equal to that to which the rollersnormally are held apart by the grouping pins. On these wedges 19 isprovided a pair of parallel sides for each key in the oflice line ofkeys, the thickness of the wedge from top to bottom increasing at auniform rate as above described. That is, the increased thickness of thewedge between one pair of parallel sides over the preceding pair ofparallel sides is equal to the space normally between two of theinterlocking rollers when held in position by the grouping pin, it beingunderstood of course that proper allowance is made in these measurementsto minimize friction without substantially interfering with the accuracyof the fitting of the parts, it being also understood that the'holes i2through the interlocking rollers may be somewhat larger than thegrouping pins which pass through them, so as to permit lateraladjustment of the rollers on their grouping pins and thus maintainparallel alinement between the rollers even if the grouping pins do nothave parallel alinemcnt, due to error in the placing of holes for thegrouping pins in the interlocking channel.

It will also be understood that instead of the bell crank 15 I mayattach a chain or a cord to the end block 12, which cord will extendback toward the first interlocking wedge 7 and pass down over a pulleyconveniently mounted under the block 1Q. To the end of this cord orchain may be attached the interlocking strap 18, so that by thisconstruction as well the interlocking strap 18 will be lifted inresponse to the voting oit keys in its particular otiice channel. Otherchanges will suggest themselves as well.

It will now be understood that as succes sive keys are voted in anoflice line, the end block 12 will travel out to the right as shown in Fe, and will li't't the interlocking strap 18 through successive stepsmaking the wedge 19 engage with its successive steps with the adjacentinterlocking rollers 21 spreading them farther and farther apart. lnthis way in a large group one or more ot these wedges 19 may be raisedto its iull height, separating the adjacent interlocking rollers tocorrespond. For example, in a group ot twenty-one, three ot these wedgesmay each be raised seven steps and they should then take up all thespace between the grouping pins which mark the ends et the groups sothat no other wedge could be raised a single step or a whole step. It isapparent that it anadditional key is pressed down so as to raise theinterlocking wedge 19 a partial step it will not be etliective for anyobjectionable purpose (that is, beating the machine or overvoting theinterlock) because the key will not have advanced tar enough to causethe operation of its counter t and as soon as the voter ceases to pressdown on the key the parts will practically resume their normalcondition.

It will further be understood that the counter operating mechanism isnot positioned or operated by the key until atter the key has moved tarenough to complete its interlock, consequently the incomplete movementto which the extra key is limited by the interlock will not and can notbe made to cause the overvoting ot the key.

lt will be seen by my construction that errors et' displacement of theinterl cking blocks are contined to the otlice line in which theyoriginate and are not communicated as errors to the grouping wedges 19and their interlocking rollers. lt has always been recognized that asthe wedges 7 swing sidewise and swing away from a line perpendicularwith their interlocking blocks, that their displacement increasesproportionately to the secant of the angle which they make with suchperpendicular line, and that some extra space must be allowed betweenthe interlocking blocks in each ollice line to com-` pensate tor thiserror, and it is also apparent that itt this excess space ot severaloilice lines could be combined, it would amount to enough to permit thevoting of an extra key. lt the length ot the oliice line is increased byincreasing the number ot keys and interlocking wedges embodied therein,this error will rapidly increase unless the length ot the interlockingstrap G is corrcspondingly increased. This error also increased byincreasing the displacement ot' the interlocking wedge 7. This errorwill not ordinarily interfere with the accuracy of single candidategroups so as to permit the voting ot' two keys in one ollice line, eveni1l the party rows on the machine are increased to fifteen or even more,but as soon as several ottice lines are thrown together an extra key canbe voted in the group provided the excess space in all the interlockingchannels of the several ollice lines can be added together. It the spearheads 19 had but two sides tapering to an edge instead ot a series oliparallel sides, the errors of the successive otlice lines could be addedtogether' so as to permit the overvoting oitI a group, but by dividingthe sides of the wedges 19 into successive steps corresponding to theirmovement, due to the successive voting ot keys, and by making theinterval between successive pairs of sides as short and as abrupt aspossible I prevent this accumulation of errors.

lt is also understood that if the wedges 19 have but a single pair oftapered sides an extra key might be voted by springing the interlockingchannel. That is, in the group one key might be voted and thereafter astraight ticket key niight be voted carrying with it all the keys oitanother part-y line. The combined etlect of this would be to cause allot the wedges 19 to press upward against the interlocking channel,raising the channel a tritling amount, which amountwould be practicallymultiplied by the mimber ot ollice lines on the group and added to anyother errors that n'iight exist in the interlock, which combination oterrors would possibly be sutlicient to permit the voting ot the extrakey. ln this case the wedges 19 would not displace the rollers laterallyany more than the normal amount, the error being due principally to theelevation o all the rollers. This error cannot be perpetrated, so tospeak, on my interlock without forcing up the channel Q() by an amountequal to the distance between the centers ot successive pairs orp stepson the wedges 19, and the ordinary niountings ot' the interlockingchannel will prevent this to a certainty. Long before this could happeneither the strap (3 or 1S would break, and these straps can ordinarilybe made with a breaking strength of many hundreds ot pounds, so thatwith any ordinarily useful machine my interlocking mechanism can bedepended upon to prevent the voter trom making mistakes or from making awil'lul misuse et the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and patentableis as :follows:

1. The combination in a voting machine of keys arranged in parallelotiice lines, ot' wedges connected to and operated by each ot said keys,interlocking blocks separated or drawn together by said .vedges, achannel for supporting said interlocking blocks., said channelpreventing said blocks from spreading except in one direction, a bellcrank pivoted at the free end of each channel and engaging With the endblock in the channel, and being rocked thereby, a progressively steppedWedge connected to said bell crank and being operated thereby, saidstepped Wedges being embraced by a grouping channel, spacing devicescarried in said grouping channel and separating said stepped Wedges.

2. The combination in a voting machine of a channel, a series ofinterlocking blocks supported in said channel, a three-pronged wedge forengaging with and operating said blocks, the middle prong passingbetween said blocks, the outer prongs passing through perforations insaid blocks.

3. The kcombination in a voting machine of a channel, a series ofinterlocking blocks supported in said channel, a three-pronged Wedge forengaging with and operating said blocks, the middle prong passingbetween said blocks, the outer prongs passing through perforations insaid blocks, said Wedge operating to separate said blocks When moved inone direction and to draw said blocks together When moved in the reversedirection.

4. The combination in a voting machine of an interlocking mechanismtherefor comprising interlocking blocks, a three-pronged Wedge forengaging With and operating said blocks, cams on each of said prongs,cams on the outer prongs being shaped reversely to the cams on themiddle prong.

5. The combination in a voting machine of an interlocking mechanismtherefor comprising a channel, a series of interlocking blocks carriedin said channel, Wedges for separating said blocks, a bell crank pivotedbelouT the end of said channel, one arm of said crank engaging with theend block and the other end of said crank having a Wedge suspendedtherefrom.

6. The combination in a voting machine of an interlocking mechanismtherefor comprising a channel, a series of interlocking blocks carriedin said channel, Wedges for separating said blocks, a bell crank pivotedbelow the end of said channel, one arm of said crank engaging With theend block and the other end of said crank having a Wedge suspendedtherefrom, said Wedge having stepped sides and being progressivelymovable.

7. In an interlocking mechanism the combination of cylindrical rollershaving annular recesses central thereof, an interlocking channelsupporting said rollers, an interlocking Wedge having stepped parallelsides, an interlocking strap connected centrally to the edge of saidWedge, passing through the annular recesses of said rollers and holdingsaid Wedge substantially perpendicular to said channel.

8. The combination of a pair of interlocking rollers placed side by sidein abutment, each of said rollers being cylindrical in shape and havingan annular recess central thereof, an interlocking strap passing betweensaid rollers, said strap having stepped interlocking Wedge connectedthereto, said Wedge being progressively movable, to iirst separate saidrollers and then move them apartby successive steps.

9. The combination in the interlocking mechanism for a vot-ing machineof a Wedge having a series of stepped sides thereon, a recess cut fromthe edge to the base of the Wedge centrally of one of the tapered sidesof said Wedge, an interlocking strap engaging in said recess of saidWedge and having an enlarged end positively engaging with the base ofsaid Wedge.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM J. LAUSTERER.

Witnesses:

T. C. HAMILTON, A. B. CoRoILiNs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

